Drones in Firefighting: Insights from Taylor Wade, Lake Travis Fire Rescue's UAS Program Manager

In this episode of DroneCast: Rethinking Public Safety, One Drone at a Time, host John McLeod speaks with Lieutenant Taylor Wade, UAS Program Manager for Lake Travis Fire Rescue's Technology Aiding Command (TAC) team. They discuss the evolution of Lake Travis Fire Rescue's drone program, its current state, and the various applications of drones in firefighting and public safety.

In this episode of DroneCast: Rethinking Public Safety, One Drone at a Time, host John McLeod speaks with Lieutenant Taylor Wade, UAS Program Manager for Lake Travis Fire Rescue's Technology Aiding Command (TAC) team. Taylor, who has been with Lake Travis Fire Rescue since 2013, shares his journey from studying criminology to becoming a firefighter and drone program manager.

The conversation covers the history and development of Lake Travis Fire Rescue's drone program, which started about six years ago primarily for prevention and fuels mitigation. Taylor explains how the program evolved, faced challenges, and was eventually revamped with a new focus on aiding command decision-making through technology.

Taylor details the current state of the program, including the number of FAA Part 107 pilots, the types of drones used, and the various software and training tools implemented. He also discusses the diverse applications of drones in firefighting, from thermal imaging for detecting hot spots to improving resource allocation in smoke investigations.

The episode also touches on the challenges of rapid community growth in the Lake Travis area, the importance of interagency collaboration, and strategies for keeping drone pilots' skills sharp. Taylor shares insights on promoting the program's successes, engaging with the community, and advice for other agencies looking to start or improve their own drone programs.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.